Entries with the tag: mike ross

Hockey fights though, never seemed that gratuitous because of what I’d been sold for years:

- Hockey fights breed accountability
- Hockey fights do not result in anyone getting hurt
- Hockey fights happen because of the passion in the game
- Hockey fights are necessary so players have a way to vent frustration

And for years, I bought it…much the same way my parents smoked for most of my childhood without ever giving a second thought to the effects of second-hand smoke. How were they supposed to know? It was never drilled into them.

But when I saw 3 scraps of the opening faceoff between the Rangers and Devils on Monday (the 2nd time there have been multiple fights off the start of a game between these two teams), I tried to understand which of the above criteria were met.

If you are a hockey fan, than you are probably following your favorite sport in a number of different ways.

May be you are one that watches the games on television, listens to the game on the radio, purchases the NHL Center Ice package for your family’s television, buys the NHL GameCenter Live package for your computer, or follows everything by hopping online and checking out all the hockey blogs, hockey beat writers, and so on and so forth.

Believe it or not, folks, there is another way and it is three words: NHL Home Ice.

NHL Home Ice is Sirius/XM’s 24/7 hockey channel. NHL Home Ice has great hosts, great producers, terrific content and an awesome Boss in Joe Thistel.

This outlet is dedicated to hockey like no other. The hosts are not only some of the most knowledgeable hockey people out there, but they are also true fans of the game we all know and love.

“Rossy” was kind enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to tell us about his experience with Potvin.

PH: You had quite the hockey week recently, Mike. Not only did you get to catch a special Buffalo Sabres’ game, but you also got to take in the Ottawa Senators vs, Toronto Maple Leafs game with Denis Potvin. Does it get any better than that for you?MR:Well, I have been twice blessed in this way…Firstly, I did the Power Play show with Phil Esposito for an entire season and that was a thrill. Espo is legendary not only on the ice but in the story-telling department so you can imagine how cool it was to start my work day everyday by calling Phil up and setting up the show with him, only to have him regale me with great tales. In one word: Awesome.

Then as you mentioned, I got to hang with Denis Potvin, one of the top 2 or 3 defencemen of all-time…Denis and I have worked on Hockey This Morning together for 2 1/2 seasons and have a great working relationship. But when you add some of the extra curricular activities we have engaged in, like playing together in a charity hockey game or watching the Sens and Leafs in the ACC press box, it goes to another level. To watch the man skate and stick handle 20 years after retiring like he was still in the game…the hands and skate stride are still there…very cool.

PH: What was it like watching a game with one of the greatest defensemen of all-time? Was he able to point out things that many fans would probably never pick-up on?MR:Absolutely. Denis, like anyone who achieved what he did, would point out nuances of the game that I would not have noticed. He also gave me insight into why a player made a certain move or decision.

PH: First off, how many hockey jerseys do you own? MR:I own 31 hockey jerseys and a host of other football and baseball jerseys.

PH: Which jersey that you own is your favorite? Why?MR:Have to go with my Senators, heritage wool sweater. I love it because it’s such a true throwback, given the old logo on it and the fact that it is truly a sweater.

It ended up being a special and emotional night for all as it was also Dale Hawerchuk and Rick Jeanneret night as the two Sabres’ legends were being inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame.

“Rossy” was kind enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to tell us how the night went.

PH: How did you and Mick Kern get invited to be at Dale Hawerchuk and Rick Jeanneret night in Buffalo?MR:Actually, we got to pick the game. A few weeks ago, I got a call from Marc Heintzman of the Sabres Public Relations department saying that team President Ted Black had heard Mick and I talking about the renovations at First Niagara Center and was inviting us to pick a game and be his guest for a night. So we looked at the schedule and decided that seeing the Jets would be cool and in the end, it was a coincidence that Hawerchuk and Jeanneret were being honoured.

The show’s producer for the last six seasons, Shawn Lavigne, a.k.a. “Big Country”, announced this morning that he is leaving the show and the channel for a new job as a producer at the start-up TSN Radio.

If you’re a fan of the show, than you know how big of a loss this is. “Big Country” was a hard worker who along with Mike Ross (Rossy) and Aron Papernick (The Paper Boy), delivered the goods every morning. He was funny, loved the band Abba and was a sad fan of the Ottawa Senators.

I would like to take this time to thank Shawn for always agreeing to stop by the Goal Line Report and give us his thoughts and for also allowing me to blog for the NHL Home Ice web site from 2008-09. It was an absolute pleasure to listen to you each and every morning and we at the Goal Line Report and Kukla’s Korner wish you nothing but the best at your new job.

If you’ve been reading my blog here, than you know that I am a big fan and supporter of XM NHL Home Ice. In my opinion, it is the best hockey outlet out there and has terrific shows, great hosts and provides great hockey content 24/7.

Recently, I was lucky enough to do an e-mail interview with Mike Ross, the host of Hockey This Morning. “Rossy” was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to give us his thoughts on all things NHL at the quarter point of the season.

PH: So, we’re about a quarter into the NHL season. What are some of your general early thoughts?MR:I’ve enjoyed the hockey so far…watching the continued success of Stamkos and the emergence of some younger guys like Bobrovsky and Giroux in Philly along with Dubinsky in NY and Byfuglien in Atlanta. In the west, I am not shocked to see the Red Wings back on top of the west. Last year was a blip on the radar screen. I am also a fan of the Blue Jackets and their youth movement. And, oh yeah, I LOVE their new third jersey.

As we all know, hockey is a fledgling sport in the U.S. It doesn’t get the coverage it deserves and when it does press, it’s usually for something negative (ahem, Sean Avery).

However, one radio channel/network that steps up when it comes to hockey coverage is XM’s NHL Home Ice Channel. Day in and day out, the channel provides great hockey content to fans all over the world and always has them coming back for more.

Recently, I had the opportunity to do an e-mail interview with one of the channel’s hosts and producers, Mike Ross. “Rossy” tells us about how he fell in love with the game, how he got involved in hockey radio, the channel’s future, this season’s surprises/disappointments and of course, his Stanley Cup predicition.